A New Ideal
by sqbr
Summary: Cassandra and Inquisitor Adaar bond over a love of romance. Written for the 2015 Dragon Age Kiss Battle for the prompt "Cassandra/Inquisitor, They did WHAT in Varric's book?".


She caught her up in a punishing kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance, but this was a battle she knew she would win.

_Evaline_ gasped Liesbeth.

"That's Knight Captain Evaline," mouthed the redhead into Liesbeth's ample bosom. Her highly illegal pirate bosom. How did something so wrong feel so right?

"What about Dirk?" breathed Liesbeth breathlessly.

Ah, Dirk. Evaline felt a flash of heat as she remembered her last tumble with the muscular brunet. She'd had some good times with that sexy piece of man meat. For a while she'd even thought she loved him. But that was in the past. She'd spent too long trying to fight this, too long pretending she didn't want this feisty chit of a pirate, too long ignoring the fiery flame that burned between them. There was something special about Liesbeth that called to the deepest parts of Evaline's being. Something pure and vulnerable besides her flinty heart hiding in that ample ebony bosom.

"Well, what about you and Wulf?" asked Eveline, archly, her cerulean orbs flashing. "I saw you just the other day admiring his lithe figure."

Liesbeth tossed her shiny mane of jet black hair, causing her ample bosom to bounce enticingly. "He's pretty, but he's not..." She pouted, her full lower lip quivering with delicious petulance. "I'm no good at this feelings stuff, you know that." The brunette pulled the redhead closer and narrowed her almond shaped eyes seductively. "Can we just get to the good part?"

Evaline laughed. Then her rich throaty voice caught in a gasp as the pirate woman's clever fingers found their way under her short leather skirt. Her skin felt hot and slick as the the brunette's fingers reached up towards...

* * *

"Are you enjoying the book?"

Cassandra let out an undignified squeak and almost lost her page. Inquisitor Adaar was looking down at her with an uncertain smile. Cassandra felt a flush of embarrassment and tried to purge her mind of inappropriate thoughts about stoic guard captains and sexy pirates. It was hard, she was still reeling from the fact that Liesbeth and Evaline had gotten together at all. Yes, Evaline and Dirk had broken up at the end of the last book, but he'd been so heavily telegraphed as...

She really needed to find somewhere more private to read. Or less embarrassing tastes.

"...yes," said Cassandra. "It is...good."

Herah beamed. It was nice to see her so happy, she'd been subdued around Cassandra of late. "Well don't tell me what happens! I'm only up to book two."

"You...you are reading Swords and Shields? And you...do you like it then?" It had started to feel like Cassandra was the only fan in all of Thedas. Even _Varric_ didn't like them.

"Yes! After seeing how much you liked them I thought they had to be worth a shot, and I'm really enjoying them," said Herah. "I mean, it's not fine art, but it's really...engaging, you know? I care about the characters, and...I never got to hear much about grand passions growing up with Tal Vashoth. It's all so utilitarian. Which is fine if you like it that way, but I always felt like..." She looked down at her feet. "I guess it's nice seeing things work out differently. I mean I know it's hardly an accurate depiction of romance, but..."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Cassandra. She put in her bookmark and stood up, so that Herah was not towering over her _quite_ so much. They started walking together across the courtyard. "So where are you up to?"

"I just met Varius!" said Herah, "And could he _be_ a more obvious stand in for Varric? He even has the earring!"

Cassandra laughed. "I know, Varric is so shameless! And yet the things he _does_ to Varius are so..." She covered her mouth. "Oh, I am so sorry! Forget I said anything!"

Herah shrugged. "That's ok. I never liked him much. He's too..." Her eyes got wide and she grabbed Cassandra by the arm "Oh! But you can tell me...I must know if anything bad happens to Liesbeth! She hasn't shown up again after the big fight with the Sten, and I'm worried she's dead."

"Are you _sure_ you want me to tell you?" asked Cassandra.

"Yes! No! I..." Herah laughed ruefully. "I'm being really silly aren't I? Sorry."

"No more silly than I," said Cassandra. "And it is fun to discuss the books with someone else who cares about them as much as I do. I remember when I finished the first book I stayed up until nearly dawn and then rushed to the bookseller the moment they opened to buy the sequel. And then after that I had to wait six months for the third book to come out! I thought I would die!"

"Oh no, does this one end on a cliffhanger as well?"

"They all end on cliffhangers," said Cassandra, bitterly. "Because Varric is an evil, evil man."

"I _know_," said Herah. "Do you remember how he left Evaline bleeding to death in a carta prison at the end of the first book? Who does that?" She leaned against the stone battlement, bringing her face down to Cassandra's level. Without Cassandra realising it, they had wandered up to a secluded balcony looking out over Skyhold. Cassandra tried not to think back to the last time they'd talked together in a place like this.

Herah took a deep breath. "Ok, Cassandra," she said. "I've thought about it, and I need to know. Tell me: is Liesbeth dead?"

"Well..." said Cassandra, enjoying the moment. "That depends on how you define dead..."

"Don't make me use the hand." Herah waved her mark in front of Cassandra in an entirely unthreatening show of force. For such a physically imposing woman she was remarkably gentle.

Cassandra laughed. "Liesbeth is fine. There is some misdirection where you see what looks like her funeral, but it turns out she faked her own death to escape the, uh, Qunari." For the first time it occurred to Cassandra that Herah might not appreciate the way the books used the Qunari as a convenient inscrutable antagonist whenever the plot needed some tension. Although of course Herah would be the first to remind her that _Qunari_ was not the same thing as _Tal Vashoth_. "I haven't quite finished the final book but for now at least she is...happy. And very much alive."

"And does she finally realise her undying love for Evaline?"

Cassandra coughed in surprise. "How did you know? I had no idea!"

Herah's eyes got huge. "No, really? I was joking! I mean I think they're great together but I thought for sure Evaline and Dirk were...Wow!"

"Ah, I am so sorry, I spoiled it!" said Cassandra.

"No, it's ok, I like knowing. Gives me something to look forward to," said Herah, with a big grin. "But that's...wow. That makes me so happy. I know she's nothing like me, but...I always identified with Liesbeth a little bit."

"With Liesbeth?" said Cassandra in surprise. Who would identify with _her_ when Knight Captain Evaline was _right there_? "But she's so...irresponsible! You are nothing like that!" Although now that she thought to compare them...Herah did also have smooth dark skin, shining hair, and a _very_ ample bosom. True, her skin was dark _grey_, and her long white hair was braided between two large, metal tipped horns, but she was still just as strikingly beautiful as Cassandra had imagined the pirate woman to be. Maybe more so.

"You're right," said Herah. "I'm not much like her. She's so...independent and passionate. I guess she's...who I wish I was. Or who I could be."

"You are _better_ than Liesbeth," said Cassandra. "Just because you do not run from your responsibilities...and I know you are passionate! You cannot help that..." _You cannot help that the object of your passion rejected you._ Evaline had rejected Liesbeth too, at first, and Liesbeth had responded by kissing her. Which would be an _awful_ thing to do in real life (and in the book it had just gotten her arrested) The thought of Herah kissing her was not as awful now as it had seemed a short time ago. But one of the things that drew Cassandra to Herah was that she would never behave like Liesbeth. "I hate to think what she would do if she was put in charge of the Inquisition, as you were. Can you imagine?"

"Steal all the gold and run back to Antiva," said Herah, laughing. "And maybe start a few extra wars in the process. Yes, that does put my own failures into perspective."

"You are a fine Inquisitor," said Cassandra. "We all make mistakes, and you less than most. What matters is that you are willing to make the difficult decisions."

"And not run away back to Ostwick, as much as I might sometimes want to."

"Exactly." This felt good, talking like friends. They had not done it much since Cassandra rejected Herah, and Cassandra had missed it. With men, Cassandra always felt they expected her to be something she was not: either a delicate, feminine princess, or a thick skinned pragmatist with no time for sentiment. But Herah knew what it was to a be a woman, yet not what people thought a woman should be. With her, Cassandra felt like she was being seen for who she truly was. Surely they could put all the rest behind them, and forget about all the might have beens. She squeezed Herah's hand.

Herah flinched. Ah. Perhaps they could not. "I am sorry," said Cassandra. "I should not have..."

"No, I'm sorry," said Herah. "You shouldn't have to feel weird about touching me!"

"I do not wish to make you uncomfortable," said Cassandra.

"That's _really_ not the problem," said Herah, heavily. Cassandra felt herself flush.

Herah had not been the first woman to express interest in Cassandra. There had been other noble girls back in Nevarra, some of the few other female Seekers, a few lay sisters during her time in the Chantry...but none of them had had any appeal. So Cassandra had come to the conclusion that she just didn't like women. Of course, it wasn't like she found most _men_ appealing either, nor many of those who identified as neither. Looking at Herah now, thinking about touching her, about how Herah might still feel about her...Cassandra wondered if perhaps it wasn't simply that she was _picky_.

Herah rubbed her face with her hands. "Wait, sorry, that's not...can we just forget the last minute or so and go back to talking about books?"

"Of course," said Cassandra. The fact that Cassandra returned Herah's interest did not mean they were a good match. Herah was the Inquisitor, she had more important things to worry about. And Cassandra was ill suited for relationships, she wanted impossible things and could give little in return.

That, or she was running away from a difficult decision.

"Wait..." she said, stiffly. "Inquisitor. You...you used to flirt with me, until I told you I could not return your affection."

"Yes," said Herah. "But Cassandra, I understand that nothing can happen. You said you hoped we could be friends, and I want that so badly, if there's anything I can do to..."

"You misunderstand me," said Cassandra. "I am not expressing a complaint. I am trying...I need to understand something. About...about your intentions. If I was to return your affections, what would that mean? Would you court me? Or are you only interested in something purely physical?"

Herah had said she liked the idea of romance. But that didn't mean she was interested in pursuing it in real life, or with Cassandra. Maybe she really had just been flirting. But Cassandra had to know. She stood her ground and tried not to look away or twist her hands in nervousness.

"Anything," said Herah, her voice soft and full of hope. "Cassandra, I...I would bring you the stars."

'The stars' sounded about right: beautiful and perfect and entirely beyond reach. "But what do you want?"

"Me? I want...I want everything," said Herah. "I know, it's ridiculous! A Tal Vashoth romantic, right? But I want to bring you flowers and write you poetry and..." she ducked her head, "...do all the physical things too, if you wanted." Herah stepped closer. She was so very tall. "But Cassandra...does this man you've changed your mind?"

"Yes. At least...I...I find myself...do you think it could work then? Between the two of us? You have so many other responsibilities. And I want...I want everything too. I will not settle for half measures."

Herah smiled. "Since when have I ever done anything by half?" Cassandra laughed. It was a fair point. "I can't promise...I don't know a lot about human courtship. When I've tried it before the humans were...unappreciative. But I know how I feel." She reached down and took Cassandra's hand, then slowly bowed so that their heads were level. She kissed Cassandra's hand, a soft brush of her lips that made Cassandra's skin tingle. She looked up and their eyes met. Purple eyes, beautiful and expressive, looking at Cassandra like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.


End file.
